The OCSW has a variety of advantages over earlier machine guns, not the least of which is extreme portability. The system is incredibly light, under 25 pounds. In addition, it's built to reduce recoil, eliminating the need for sandbags or braces that earlier crew-served weapons required to fire.

It also has many features adding to its lethality. The OCSW fires 25 mm shells, both armor-piercing and anti-personnel, all with miniature microprocessors. Utilizing the OCSW's laser rangefinder, these microprocessors can be programmed before firing to detonate immediately over a target, allowing the weapon to hit a target taking cover behind or around obstacles. Thanks to this rangefinder and advanced environmental sensors, the OCSW can easily hit targets up to 2,000 meters away by independently adjusting itself for wind and other conditions that could alter aim.